Contact: Nate Herman
Phone: 703-797-9062
Email: nate@travel-goods.org

U.S. Travel Goods Industry Urges President Bush to Revamp U.S. Trade Policy
Over 70 U.S. Travel Goods Companies Ask Bush to Change Policy As Soon As Possible

Princeton, NJ - 10 September 2004 - Over 70 U.S. companies representing all sectors of the U.S. travel goods industry today sent an open letter to President George W. Bush (Actual Letter, pdf file) urging the U.S. government to immediately and dramatically alter U.S. trade policy towards travel goods. The U.S. companies that signed the letter make, market and/or sell travel goods in the U.S. market and around the world, including luggage, business and travel accessories, business and computer cases, handbags/purses, duffle bags, backpacks, wallets, portfolios, carrying cases and other products for people who travel. The signatories urge the Bush administration to immediately change the U.S. government’s trade policy so that ALL travel goods (both textile and non-textile) are duty-free immediately under flexible rules of origin in all free trade agreements negotiated by the United States.

Michele Marini Pittenger, President of the Travel Goods Association (a signatory), applauded the letter. “There should now be no doubt in anyone’s mind where the U.S. travel goods industry stands on trade. This letter demonstrates that the entire U.S. travel goods industry, and the tens of thousands of U.S. workers who depend on it, stand unified behind a policy of unfettered and reciprocal free trade for ALL types of travel goods, no matter what they are made of or where they are made.”

Edward L. Gerch, TGA’s Chair and President of Kingport Trading, LLC, a U.S. wholesaler and distributor of travel goods and another signatory, commented on how the signatories on the letter represent the entire U.S. travel goods industry. “From small and medium-sized U.S. handbag, leather goods, luggage and sports bags manufacturers/distributors such as Bosca, Hobo, The Leather Specialty Company and Leisure Merchandising to some of the best known names in the industry such as Atlantic, Cole Haan, Liz Claiborne, Nike, Reebok and Skyway, and from the smallest family-owned travel goods stores like Seidenberg Luggage of Pennsylvania and Shapiro Luggage & Gifts of Utah to the largest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart, the letter’s signatories represent the entire breadth and depth of the U.S. travel goods industry.’

Concluded Gerch, “While the U.S. travel goods industry appreciates the Bush administration’s continued support of free trade and its continued efforts to open foreign markets to U.S.-made and U.S.-branded travel goods, we believe now is the time to change U.S. trade policy in order to help U.S. travel goods firms become more competitive in the U.S. market and throughout the world.”

To obtain a copy of the actual letter, please click here (pdf file).

The Travel Goods Association is the voice of the U.S. travel goods industry. A national trade association, TGA represents the manufacturers, distributors and retailers of luggage, leather goods, business and travel accessories, business and computer cases, handbags and other products for people who travel.

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